Skirt



(No Model.) 7 B. D. MoCRAGK'EN.

SKIRT. I No. 344,973. I Patented July 6, 1886 N. PETERS. Phdlwkkhclriphlr. Vii-M13100. 'D-C.

NITE STATES ATENT OFFICE.

EDW IN D. MGORAOKEN, OF ALPINE, NEYV JERSEY.

SKIRT.

set C FICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 344,973, dated July 6, 1886.

Application filed December 17, 1885. Serial No. 185,593. (No model.l

To all whom it may concern.-

Be itknown that I, EDWIN D. MOCRAOK- EN, of Alpine, in the county of Bergen and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Ladies Skirts, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is applicable bot-h to the skirts of ladies dresses made of various fabrics and to muslin and other underskirts in which the fabric is continuous around the circu mference of the skirt.

In both dress-skirts and underskirts, as heretofore made, it has been common to shirr or gather the skirt at its top and sew it permanently to the waistband around the entire circumference thereof. In the case of dressskirts, and particularly those made of velvet and other heavy and expensive fabrics, the skirt becomes permanently creased where itis thus gathered, and if it be desired to rip the skirt from the waistband, in order to put it to other use or tomake it up in a different way, the material will be found to be permanently impaired and injured by such creases. In the ease of muslin and other underskirts which require to be laundered, the fabric is subjected to most wear where it is thus gathered and sewed to the band, and is apt to become so weakened as to give out or tear under slight strain.

The object of my invention is to provide dressskirts and underskirts which may be very readily gathered by the wearer when desired to be worn, and which, when not in use, may be spread out throughout their principal portions to their full width or breadth and packed in a trunk or elsewhere without danger of creasing the fabric.

The invention consists in the combination, with a skirt composed of fabric which is continuous around the circumference of the skirt, and a substantial portion of which is ungathcred and destitute of plaits and provided at regular intervals with eyes, of two gathering,- strings, each attached at one end to the skirt at opposite points,one extending in one direc-- tion from its point of attachment through the whole series of eyes, and the other extending in the other direction from its point of attachment also through the whole series of eyes,

and by which the skirt may be gathered or shirred in plaits about the waist of the wearer.

The invention also consists in the combination, with a skirt composed of fabric which is continuous around the circumference of the skirt, of a waistband permanently attached to the front port-ion of the skirt, the portion of fabric extending from the waistband around the back of the skirt being ungathered and destitute of plaits and provided at intervals with eyes, and two gathering-strings, each attached at one end to the skirt and passing in opposite directions from their points of attachment each through all the eyes of the series, and by which the ungathcred portion of the skirt may be gathered or shirrcdin plaits about the waist of the wearer.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a skirt embodying my invention, and with its upper or waist portion extended and free from plaits or gathers; and Fig. 2 represents a plan or top view of askirt, showing the back portion thereof partially gathered.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in both figures.

A designates the skirt, which may be made of any fabric suitable for dresses, or of muslin or other wash fabrics from which nnderskirts are commonly made.

B designates a waistband, which throughout the middle portion of its length is permanently attached to the front of the skirt by sewing, in the usual way. The front of the skirt is not commonly gathered, but may be gored, as shown at a, where it is attached to the waistband B, in order to give sufficient fullness to it below the waistband. The back portion of the skirt A, and up to the points b, where the attachment to the band I commences, and which constitutes a substantial portion of the skirt, is left entirely free and ungathcred when the skirt is not worn, but is provided with means whereby it may be gathered in when the skirt is secured around thg waist. Eyes or small rings 0 are attached to the skirt at or near its upper edge, and around that portion to which the band B is not attached.- Through these eyes 0 are passed gathering-cords (I, each being attached at d to the skirt and passing in opposite directions through the rings or eyes 0. After the skirt is put on, the waistband or belt B is buttoned or hooked or oth erwise secured around the waist, and by taking hold of the opposite ends of the gathering cords d the upper portion oflthe skirt may be gathered in around the waist to suit the form and taste of the wearer, and also to suit the amount of under-clothing and the size of the bustle which she may wear. The gatheringcords d may be drawn forward and tied around the front of the waist, or they may be long enough to cross around at the front and be tied at the back.

It will be observed that this stitchless gather or shirr which Iprovide for contracting a skirt about thewaist does not form any permanent plaits or creases in the fabric, and it enables the wearer to readily adapt the gathering of the skirt to suit the amount of under clothing or to suit the size of the bustle which she may wear.

When the skirt is to be packed in a trunk for safe-keeping or for traveling, it may be drawn out or extended to its smooth full condition, as shown in Fig. 1, and then folded without any creases, which would tend to injure it, especially if it be of velvet or other pile fabric.

It will also be seen that my invention is of great advantage for dress-goods, as it enables the dress-skirt to be turned upside down or made over in any suitable way without'showing any permanent creases, which mar its appearance. 1

For muslin or other underskirts which require to be laundered, the invention is also of great advantage, as it prevents tearing of the material, which frequently takes place at the permanent gathering at the waistband, and the skirt, when extended as shown in Fig. 1, may be much more readily laundered than can be done when it is permanently gathered or attached to a band throughout the entire top portion of the skirt.

The rings or eyes upon the skirt through which the gathering-string passes may be made in any suitable way. They may consist of metal rings or loops attached to the skirt by sewing; or they may consist of pieces of pass in opposite directions through the rings or eyes 0, and each attached at one end to the skirt, as best shown in Fig. 2 of my drawings, where the two strings at their one end are attached to the skirt at opposite points, d, and. are then passed in opposite directions through out the entire series of rings 0. In this respect my invention is distinguished from those skirts or garments which have simply a single gathering-string, and in which the fabric is not shirred or gathered in uniform plaits, as it is by my two gathering-strings running in opposite directions.

I am aware that it is not new to insert a gathering-string within a pocket extending around the circumference of the garment; but such an arrangement does not secure the advantages resulting from isolated rings or eyes 0, through which the gathering-string passes. A sufficient number of rings or eyes'are attached to the skirt to produce, when the skirt is shirred or gathered, a series of the finest plaits which may be desired, and by simply passing the gathering-strings through alternate eyes or rings and skipping the intermediate eyes or rings the skirt may be shirred or gathered in plaits which are twice the width of the former. This variation in the width of the plaits cannot be secured by means of a string or strings arranged within a continuous pocket. Again, where a gathering string or strings is or are inserted within a pocket, plaits will all lie the same way, while when gathering-strings are passed through a series of rings or eyes the plaits may be laid in op posite directions from the center each way.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with a skirt composed of fabric which is continuous around the circum ference of the skirt, and a substantial portion of which is ungathered and destitute of plaits, and provided at regular intervals with eyes 0, of two gathering-strings, (1, each attached at one end to the skirt, one string extending in one direction from its point of attachment through the \vhole'series of eyes, and the other string extending in the other direction from its point of attachment also through the whole series of eyes, and by which the skirt may be gathered or shirred in plaits about the waist of the wearer, substantially as herein described.

2. The combination, with a skirt composed of fabric which is continuous around, the circumferenee of the skirt, of a waistband permanently attached to the front portion of the skirt, the portion of fabric extending from the waistband around the back of the skirt being ungathered and destitute of plaits and provided at intervals with eyes, and two gathering-strings, each attached at one end to the skirt, and passing in opposite directions from their points of attachment each through all the eyes of the series, and by which the ungathered portion of the skirt may be gathered or shirred in plaits about the waist of the wearer, substantially as herein described.

E. D. MOGRACKEN.

\Vitnesses:

G. HALL, FREDK. HAYNES.

IIO 

